Photojournalist killed while covering Hawija offensive

Hawija (IraqNewsService.com) A photojournalist has been killed while covering the ongoing battles between Islamic State and Iraqi joint troops in the group’s holdout in southwest of Kirkuk, a source was quoted saying.

“A colleague from al-Nujabaa channel, Warith al-Shemari, was killed on Sunday during battles within the Hawija offensive,” the source told alforat news.

Hawija and other neighboring regions, west of Kirkuk, have been held by IS since mid-2014, when the group emerged to proclaim an Islamic “caliphate” in Iraq and Syria.

Early on Friday, Iraqi Prime Minister Haidar al-Abadi and the Joint Operations Command announced beginning of the second phase of Hawija offensive.

In July, The Federation of Arab Journalists said in a statement that 47 Iraqi journalists were killed, while 55 others were wounded while covering and accompanying security troops during battles in Mosul.

The first Iraqi slain journalist in 2017 was Abdul Qader al-Qaisi, who was kidnapped and then found by security forces in January. His body was dumped on the road between Kirkuk and Baghdad. Another journalist Afrah Shawqi was abducted for nine days and then released.

A report by Reporters Without Borders (RSF) said in December seven reporters were killed in Iraq in 2016, out of a total of 57 who were killed in conflict areas across the world. Syria came on top of the death tally with 19 victims. The total for 2016 was, however, a drop from the 101 death count of 2015.

In October, the Committee to Protect Journalists said Iraq was the world’s top country in terms of impunity regarding journalists’ killing, attributing the fact to the involvement of extremist militias in the murders.